When a product does exactly what it promises and more, it can develop almost a cult following. Think iPhone, 3 Series, red soles. You almost don't need the company brand to know what I'm talking about.

OK, so maybe the Cisco SX10 doesn't quite stir the same emotions as a sleek BMW or a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. But I can tell you that people are buying into the promise we made when we launched this entry-level video conferencing solution:  "High quality, simplicity, and affordability come together to create a practical and powerful business class solution for video ubiquity -all at about the price of a PC."

Over the past 18 months since we launched the SX10, customers have validated our product positioning with their wallets and their feedback. But we know we've hit a home run when some of our toughest critics also agree. Take for example, the recent independent review from Wainhouse Research:"Evaluation of the Cisco TelePresence SX10 Quick Set Group Conferencing System."It is testament to the strength of our design and engineering teams that the review aligns with our product promise.

I've pulled out some of the report's key findings against the SX10 positioning, which not-surprisingly, is also what we've been hearing from customers. 

Excerpts from the Wainhouse report:

• Affordability:  "It is not just the SX10's low cost that makes it interesting ... low cost doesn't mean a loss of manageability."
• Experience:"Without exception, the SX10-powered call experience was very strong ... sometimes far better, than that of competing systems -many with much higher price tags."
• Ease of use: "... the SX10's UI is almost identical to the UI on the SX20 and SX80 systems, the MX-series systems ... The result is a simplified and consistent user experience."
• Design:  "... the SX10 is based on an advanced industrial design. The WR test team was impressed by the careful attention to detail on the unit."
• Installation:"Such creative workflows not only reduce installation cost, but also enable the use of less experienced / trained staff."

So if you are in search of a great, entry-level video solution and you haven't experienced the SX10 for yourself, you have nothing to lose. The SX10 has been validated enough to just about remove all the guesswork. Give it a try and let me know how you do.